Duplex air-compressor.



S. K. STEFFY & H. H. NAYLOR. DUPLEX AIR COMPRESSOR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 8. 1911. 1,041,693. Patented 0ct.15,1912.

2 SHEETSSHEBT l Fig.7.

' ammo w Simon If. Ste NH tumm HowardfLNtlylor g 532:2! W h MMJ,

COLUMBIA PLANOCIRAPH co.. WASHINGTON. D. C

s. K. STEPPY & H. H. NAYLOR.

DUPLEX AIR COMPRESSOR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 8. 1911.

1 041 693. Patented Oct. 15, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Zlwumtou Simon [[IStefiy, H 0 ward HNay Zor LUMBIAPLANOCIRAPH couwmflma'rcm, n. c.

UNITED STATES: PATENT orrron.

SIMON K. STEFFY, O'F HARRISBURG, AND HOWARD H. NAYIJOR, 0F MARIETTA,

PENNSYLVANIA.

DUPLEX AIR-COMPRESSOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 15, 1912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, SiMoN K. STEFFY and HOWARD H. .NAYLOR, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Harrisburg and Marietta, in the countiesof Dauphin and Lancaster, State of Pennsylvania, have in vented new anduseful Improvements in Duplex Air-Compressors, of which the following isa specification. A The invention relates to fluid compressors, and moreespecially to the class of compound air compressors, designed for useparticu-. larly on locomotives.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of an aircompressor, in which steam from a locomotive may be utilized foroperating the compressor, whereby the latter will supply pressure to thereservoirs for controlling the air brakes of a train. 5

Another object of the invention is the pro? vision of a compressor inwhich there are arranged adjacent air cylinders, which supply air to thereservoirs for controlling the air brakes, the motors operating thepistons in the air cylinders being controlled by means of a sliclablevalve block, which is ca pable of reversal, so that should one motor, orair cylinder, become disabled, the other motor and cylinder may besustained active, by which the reservoirs supplying the air brakes, maybe maintained charged.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a compound aircompressor of this character in which the capacity thereof is increasedby which the reservoirs supplying the air brakes arechargedb The presentinvention consists essentially in the combinationwith high pressuremotor and air cylinders arranged in line, pistons reciprocable thereinand movable in unison, of supplemental or low pressure motor and aircylinders, pistons movable in unison in said cylinders, connectionsbetween the high pressure and low pressure motor cylinders, whereby theexhaust. from the first is utilized as a motive power to drive thepiston in the second, a steam chest communicating with the motorcylinders,,a slide valve controlling the steam admission to thecylinders and exhaust thereof therefrom, the slide valve beingconstructed so that should one motor cylinder become disabled, the otheri one can be maintained active, inlet ports in each of said aircylinders, and connections between said air cylinders, whereby the ex-'haus't from the low pressure air cylinders 'is delivered into the highpressure cylinders, whereby the exhaust from the low and high pressureair cylinders is delivered on the compression by the pistons in the saidcylinders to the reservoirs on each rec1procation of said pistons forthe charging of the reservoirs, whereby the 'air brakes may becontrolled, the slide valve being controlled by the pistons workingwithin the high pressure motor and air cylinders.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a compoundcompressor which is simple in construction, thoroughly reliable andeflicient in operation, and inexpensive in manufacture.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, is illustrated thepreferred form of the embodiment of the invention, which, to enablethose skilled in the art to carry the invention into practice, will beset forth at length in the following description, while the noveltythereof will be pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional viewthrough a compressor constructed in accordance with the invention, thepistons in the high'pressure motor and air cylinders being lowered,while the pistons in the low pressure motor and air cylinders areraised. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the pistons reversed and the slidevalve shifted. Fig. 8 is a plan view, looking toward one face of theslide valve. Fig. 4 is a view, looking toward the opposite face thereof.a V Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughoutthe several views of the drawings.

Referring tothe drawings bynumerals,

the compressor comprises a motor cylinder 5 arranged in alinement withan air compressor cylinder 6 and operating in the manner usual in suchapparatus.

Disposed within and reciprocable in motor and air cylinders,respectively, are pistons 7 and 8, the latter being connected by meansof a piston rod 9, so as to be movable in unison. The piston rod 9passes through suitable stuffing boxes 10 mounted centrally in the inneradjacent heads of the said cylinders.

Superimposed upon the upper head of the motor cylinder 5 and suitablysecured thereto is a steam chest 11 provided with a steam inlet pipe 12adapted for communication with the steam boiler of a locomotive, in anyordinary well-known manner, the live steam being admitted to the chestthrough the said pipe. Working within the steam chest 11 is a pistonslide valve 13, the same being adapted to control the feed and exhaustto and from the high pressure motor cylinder, as will be presentlydescribed.

Contiguous to the high pressure motor and air compressor cylinders arelow pressure motor and air compressor cylinders 14 and 15, respectively,the supplemental motor cylinder being designed to utilize the exhaust ofthe high pressure motor cylinder for its motive power. Arranged withinthe supplemental low pressure motor and air compressor cylinders arepistons 16 and 17 respectively, the same being connected together bymeans of a piston rod 18, so as to be movable in unison. This piston rod18 passes through suitable stufling boxes 19 mounted centrally in theadjacent inner heads of the said supplemental cylinders.

Formed in the motor cylinder 5 are ports 20 and 21, respectively, theport 20 being located in the outer head of the said cylinder, while theport 21 is located in the side wall of the cylinder, near the inner headthereof, and these ports communicate with passages 22 and 23,respectively, which lead to the steam chest 11, so that live steam istaken in and exhausted to and from the motor cylinder 5 through theports 20 and 21 on alternate reciprocation of the piston 7.

Formed in the low pressure motor cylinder 14 are ports 24 and 25,respectively, the port 24 being provided in the outer head of the saidcylinder, while the port 25 is provided in the side wall near the innerhead thereof, and these ports are in communication with steam passages26 and 27, respectively, which lead to the steam chest 11, so that livesteam is taken in and exhausted to and from the motor cylinder 14through the said ports 26 and 27 on the reciprocation of the piston 16therein.

Formed on the adjacent inner sides of the high and low air compressingcylinders 6 and 15, respectively, are inlet air passages 28, the sameextending parallel with the said cylinders and provided with elbow-likeends 29 connected with the inner and outer heads of the said cylinders,respectively, the elbowlike ends 29 forming inlet ports 30, in which 1are arranged check valves 31 which serve to admit air from the outeratmosphere from the passages 28 on suction, and to close on compressionwhen the pistons 8 and 17 are reciprocatecl within the high andlow aircompressor cylinders. In the elbow-like ends 29, in alinement with thecheck valves 31, are threaded removable plugs 32 which, when taken outof the said ends 31, will permit access to be had to the check valves 31for the removal thereof or the cleaning of the same, as will be obvious.

Formed at the outer side of the high and low air compressor cylinders 6and 15 are air outlet passages 33, the same being adapted forcommunication with air outlet vents 34 opening through the sides of thesaid cylinders into the same, and with outlet pipes 35 leading to theair reservoirs (not shown) for controlling the air brakes, the exhaustof air from the high and low air compressor cylinders to the outletpassages 33 being controlled by means of check valves 36, which areadapted to open and allow the compressed fluid to flow through thepassages 33 to the air reservoirs on the compression strokes of thepistons 8 and 17 in the said cylinders. On the suction strokes of thepistons 8 and 17, the valves 18 are closed.

Fitted in the walls of the vents 34 in alinement with the check valves36 are movable plugs 37 which permit access to be had to the said checkvalves 36 for the cleaning thereof or the removal of the same from thesaid vents when desired.

The slide valve 13 comprises a socketed shell or hollow casing 38provided with steam inlet slots 39 at opposite sides thereof, anddisposed longitudinally of the same. Within the shell or casing 38 isdetachably fitted a valve block 40, which is provided with spacedopenings 40 and 41, respectively, which are adapted to alternatelycommunicate with passages 22 and 23 leading from the steam chest 11 tothe motor cylinder 5 for admitting live steam thereinto at oppositesides of the piston 7 on the reciprocation of the slide valve shell orcasing.

tween the passages 23 and 27 leading from the steam chest 11 to theports 21 and 25, respectively, in the, motor cylinder, on the reversemovement of the slide valve shell or casing 38. Thus it will be seenthat steam from the motor cylinder 6 will be let into the motor cylinder14 on the reciprocation of the piston 7 in said mot-0r cylinder 5 forreciprocating the piston 16 in the motor cylinder 14, thereby operatingsaid pistons.

Formed in the valve block 40, between the cavities 42 and 43, isanarcuate shaped elongated cavity 44, which is adapted to establishcommunication between the passage 27, leading fromthe motor cylinder 14to the steam chest 11, and an exhaust passage 45 leading from said steamchest to the atmosphere, thereby permitting the exhaust of spent steamfrom the said motor cylinder 14 to the atmosphere, as will be obvious,when the valve shell or casing is moved in one direction in said steamchest.

Passed through the valve shell or casing 38 is a valve rod 46, the innerend of which is formed with a reduced stem 47 forming an abutmentshoulder 48, the reduced stem 47 being adapted to telescope within asuitable bore 49 formed in the piston rod 9, when the pistons 7 and 8are reciprocated within the Inotorand air compressor cylinders 5 and 6,respectively.

Arranged concentrically about the-valve stem or rod 46, and fixed tovthe piston 7, is a striking disk 50, which is adapted to engage theshoulder 48 on the suction stroke of the piston 7 within the motorcylinder 5 for shifting the valve shell or casing 38 in the steam chest11. The stem 47, at its free end, is formed with a head 51 which isadapted to be engaged by the striking head 50 on the compression strokeof the piston 7 within the motor cylinder 5, thereby reversing themovement of the valve shell or casing 38 within the said steam chest.Thus, in this manner the course of the live steam to and from the motorcylinders and the steam chest will be controlled, as will be clearlyobvious.

The opposite face of the valve block is formed with a substantiallyarcuate-shaped elongated groove or channel 52 which is adapted toestablish communication alternately between the passages 23 and 45, and

22 and 45, when the said valve block 40 has been reversed within thevalve cylinder or shell 38, on discovery of the disabled conditionexisting in the motor cylinder 14 and the low pressure air compressorcylinder 15, and in this manner, the piston within the motor cylinder 5may be maintained active for operating the piston in the high pressureair compressor cylinder for the charging of the air reservoirs, withoutthe operation of the pistons within the low pressure air compressorcylinder, and the motor cylinder co'o'perative therewith.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,it is thought that the construction and operation of the invention willbe readily understood, without requiring a more extended explanation,and therefore the same has been omitted.

What is claimed is:

A slide valve comprising a shell having oppositely disposed longitudinalsteam inletopenings thereln, a reversible valve block having a pair offaces mounted in said valve shell, said valve block being provided onone face with transverse openings and a longitudinal arcuate opening,and on its opposite face with a longitudinal arcuate opening.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

SIMON K. STEFFY. HOWARD H. NAYLOR. Witnesses:

HENRY L. R1011, C. F. HIPPLE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

. Washington, D. G.

